Houston, you have a problem

After Lance Berkman hit a 3-run homer against the Cardinals Monday night, I figured the Astros were World Series bound. They had a 4-2 lead when I fell asleep. It was not until morning that I learned the awful truth. Only one strike away from victory, the Astros blew it. They allowed a couple of base runners, then Albert Pujols launched a 3-run shot. Houston, of course, was unable to score in the bottom of the inning, so they lost the game.

This change in momentum is tremendous. Now I will not be surprised if the Cardinals win the series. The last two games will be played in St. Louis, and the Astros will undoubtedly be hanging their heads. As much as a team tries to forget about a devastating loss, it usually doesn't work. An example that sticks out in my mind is when the Cubs lost to Florida in game 6 of the 2003 NLCS. Sure, there was still a game 7 to be played, but the Cubbies were already deflated.

It will take a lot of mental toughness for the Astros to rebound and win one of the next two games. It won't be impossible, but it remains a difficult task.